Goddess
by kiaronna
Summary: Jill was ordinary.  But strange things started happening, and she moved away to escape them.  But far from escaping, she's just going deeper in.  And when she finds out that the Harvest Goddess is dying, her world is completely thrown amiss. I don't own H
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Harvest Moon rocks. This is my first HM piece, but not my first story. If you like it, PLEASE review!! Read, review, and enjoy! Yay!_

Goddess

1

Shattered World

Jill felt another tear roll down her cheek as she stood there on the misty deck of the ship. The ship that was taking her to a new world, far from heartbreaks and tears and unnatural happenings.

Her world had been cracking, piece by piece, for a long time. It had taken a while for the crack to grow: And it was too far along to stop once she noticed it. So her world continued to break, along with everything she had ever known.

The first crack, she decided, had appeared on one of her dates with him.

"So where are we going? Can I open my eyes now?"

"No, no," he laughed, kindly, still pulling her along.

Jill had her hand over her eyes, and was smiling and laughing with him. Their feet seemed carpeted by something, probably grass. Every once in a while, something slightly sharp but bendable and not painful would sweep across her head, in clusters.

It was a magical, peaceful night, and Jill could feel herself falling in love. They had been friends for so long, and now they were quickly falling in love.

"All right, open."

Eyes open, she looked around herself.

Trees, flowers, greenery... It was beautiful. Yet she felt a strange fear strike into her heart.

She ignored it and sat on the grassy meadow, smiling up happily at him.

"Do you like it? It's a garden I've been growing." He sat down beside her.

"I love it."

"I love you."

The words sent a happy frenzy into her heart. She wanted to cry, she wanted to sing, she wanted to dance, she wanted to jump forever and ever...

And then the feeling began to sink out of her, deep into the ground.

Her unknown fear came back.

When the happy energy had left, she was left sitting there, staring blankly at him.

His eyes showed confusion and hurt. Jill couldn't stand it. She moved over, and hugged him.

"I love you too."

Relief blew through him. Jill had never felt so... Intune to emotions like this before. It was a strange sensation.

She squeezed her eyes shut tight and enjoyed the hug. She truly loved him.

But as she opened her eyes, she was greeted with a sight that terrified her.

The once carefully tended garden had turned into a weedy mess, and the plants had grown out of control. The beautiful ivy on the garden walls had lost their intricate design, and now were running across the wall in furious patterns. There was little of the walls to be seen. The delicate buds had sprung forth into huge flowers that seemed ugly and screaming, 'LOOK!'

She pulled back from him, looking around the garden in horror.

"W-what happened?"

"Mmm?" He looked at her, perplexed, then saw behind her. Eyes wide, he stood, pulling her up with him. "What's going on?"

"I'm scared..." Jill murmured.

"We'll get out of here right now. I don't know what sort of prank someone's pulling, but they better stop. Come on, Jill. There's a place near here that I keep my cutting tools."

He began to pull her alo

"Miss? Miss? We're at Mineral Town."

"What?" She was cut from her memory as a man with brown hair stood above her.

"You gonna get off the boat?"

"Oh, yes." She clumsily headed towards the ramp, watching her step, as she knew the slightest thing would make her trip in this state.

She shouldn't have thought back on that. The memory of him, of their days together, made her weak. So, so weak.

She could feel the boatman's eyes on her back, could feel his question unasked. She could feel the warmth of the body in the cabin on her right, could feel the emptiness of the next house over. She could feel a fish watching her with glazed eyes from several feet over in the water.

She wanted to beat herself on the head. This... _feeling_... Had to stop. She didn't want this to happen, not to her.

It was the reason she couldn't be with him.

Promptly, she dismissed all thoughts from her mind, and stepped onto the sandy beach.

Then she calmly called back to the boatman for directions to the Inn, and walked there, paid for a room, and collapsed onto her borrowed bed. She was in a daze the whole time, barely knowing what she was doing.

All she could decide before falling asleep was that she could never think of what had happened to her again. It was too painful, too many memories to destroy her with.

She wanted a brand-new life. She didn't want to think about her old one any more.

Above her, a woman with green hair floated, unseen. Beside her, another woman floated, one with flowing red hair and a sad smile.

"She's here already, at your Inn," the green one remarked.

The red one just nodded. They watched Jill a bit longer, and then: "She's in so much pain. Perhaps you should choose someone else."

"You know I can't do that. She's already beginning to get my powers."

A silence from the other made the green one sigh sadly and shake her head, causing her earrings to chime.

"It can't be anyone else."

_A/N: Um... Did you like it? Please review. I'll probably get another chapter done soon enough. Yay or nay?_


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Goddess

Chapter 2

When Jill woke up, the world seemed much different. Sun flowed through the windows, birds sang, and it was peace.

Jill always loved mornings.

And then, it crashed. As it always had since it had began. As it always would.

She could hear the rumple of clothes in the next room, could see every dust speck on the surprisingly clean ground. She could hear a cheerful humming from downstairs, could feel a shy soul and a grumpy yet kind soul to her left.

It made her want to go back to sleep.

It made her wonder: Do normal people feel like that all day?

The thought that a life could be so happy, that she had had that happiness and more, seemed impossible.

Shaking her head, she pulled her tired body out of bed and out the door. As she stepped out the door, she felt a pair of eyes upon her. She paid no attention to the questioning feeling that she got, but simply walked towards the stairs.

* * *

Cliff and Gray might have been surprised by the new blonde, but were not entirely shocked. But as they watched, her form straightened, almost with resistance from her body. Her blonde locks shook out their kinks and seemed to glow. As for the rest of her, they couldn't even see, but could hardly imagine the change in them. 

Both mouths dropped as they watched this strange girl descend the stairs, both deciding then and there in their minds that it would never be the same again in Mineral Town.

* * *

"I hope you had a nice stay," a friendly voice called out behind her as she opened the Inn door. "We're always here, so if you come back again..." 

Jill whipped around. She was sure she had heard the voice before.

A happy looking redhead stood there, hair pulled back in a braid that just wanted to unfurl. She tugged at the ribbon as she walked over.

"Hi, my name's Ann. I'm the Innkeeper's daughter. My dad's Doug."

Looking into the happy blue eyes, she felt weary. Had her own blue eyes once had that color? That joy? She couldn't remember...

"Erm... A question," the girl said. "Are you that new farmowner?"

"I suppose."

"Oh, well then! You can come here to eat too! My dad says that he makes the best cooking."

_'He was always extravagant,'_ a voice seemed to whisper.

Jill stared upwards as if confused. Had she heard the voice, or dreamt it? And had Ann just suppressed a smile?

But then Ann's attention was diverted as she grabbed the back of a jacket of a young man with a brown ponytail who was trying to slink out the door.

"Going to church?"

Looking at Jill as if frightened, he nodded his head like a deer in headlights.

"Okay. 'Bye, Cliff."

He didn't respond, just fumbled with the door then left as fast as possible.

"There's lots of people in this town," Ann said, attention now back on Jill. "You can meet them. If you want, I can introd-"

"No thanks," Jill said, tired as ever. "No."

* * *

Ann was a forgiving girl, but certainly not as much to forgive such an act of rudeness. She dusted the tables with furious vigor. 

"I just don't get it," she said, infuriated, to the woman with flowing red hair floating beside her. "I was friendly. What is WRONG with that girl?"

A knowing smile from the other end. "Oh, Ann. You're so much like me."

Ann's face twisted as she knocked over the potted plant on the table she was cleaning. "I certainly hope not, Mother."

* * *

"So do you know how to farm?" The mayor pointed to the vast field. 

"Well... I went to my cousin's farm when I was ten, once," Jill said. She glanced after his finger, and could immediately sense the love and hard work once put in the field. Remains of several dead plants were strewn just under the surface, sweet yellow corn and ripe sweet potatoes long gone.

The mayor smiled knowingly and proceeded to explain the farming process. He had an annoying habit of kicking his toe into the ground when he spoke, and she winced every time. Even more pain from something that shouldn't feel it. Pain, pain, pain.

_'What is _wrong_ with me?'_ She wondered, wearily rubbing her temples as the mayor finished up his farming speech.

"Oh, and also, we have a stray that's been running around and we'd like you to take it... If that's all right with you."

"A... Stray?"

"Yes. I don't know if it responds to any name, but- There it is."

A golden brown puppy bounced over, happy to be alive, then proceeded to lick her jeans as if she had been rubbed with raw meat.

It made her want to throw up.

_'He had a puppy,'_ she remembered wistfully, wincing at the thought. _'No, Jill, NO! No thinking about him!'_

The puppy was already running over to a run-down building, probably storage, and scratching at the door.

"Oh, and... That would be your house." The mayor scurried off before she could say a word about it.

She stepped over to it. It looked so cozy. A little fixing up and it would be brand new. But the house looked like

* * *

"Here it is," he said, motioning with one hand. 

Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of the house.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. "I know it's small, but I thought you wouldn't mind..."

She threw her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I love it, I love it, I love it!!! Oh, you didn't!" She was filled with joy. She could just imagine herself and him, living there, with a family. A perfect family, with two parents, a dog, and a boy and a girl. A normal family.

A guilty chill crept up her spine as she was reminded that since recently she had not been so normal. But maybe with a little work, she could control that and live the happiest life she could dream of...

"There's even a garden in the back. And this time, I promise I won't let it get out of hand."

She stared at him in horror. No, no, NO! Not plants, not trees, not anything relately having to do with the ground! Even as the thoughts swirled through her head, she could feel several squirrels staring at her from up in the tree overhead in their small front yard.

He missed everything, and simply laughed and went inside the house to take a look.

A squirrel scampered down, as she knew it would, and spit out an acorn from its mouth at her feet, an offering as if she was some sort of god. It lowered its head as if in worship, and ran back up the tree.

She put her head in her hands and felt tears coming on again- This time not for happiness, but for just the opposite.

* * *

It looked like the house he had bought for them to celebrate their soon-to-be-wedding... Her hands clenched into sad fists. 

She rubbed the tears out of her eyes with them as she opened up the house door, while the puppy ran inside.

She closed it behind her, then saw the bed and decided to go to sleep. She fell down on it. She had nothing to unpack, anyway.

She had nothing at all in the world. Nothing at all.

"Small!" A small voice chirped. "Small! Smells good! Huh, smells goooood!!! Gooood?"

Bolting up, she looked around hurriedly. Who would enter in her house? She hadn't heard the door open: And surely, with her sense of hearing, she would.

"Mmm!" The same voice squealed. "Harvest Goddess! Goddess!"

With that, she was jumped on by none other than her new puppy, who lifted his face into hers and opened his muzzle;

"Goddess! Goddess!"

Listening carefully to the words, she could make out something like an "Bark! Arf!" Beneath them.

Putting her hands to her head, she fell back on her bed.

Thinking of him always hurt... But now, surely, she was going insane.

* * *

She somewhat sat in the air, looking down on the field. She was feeling a bit lonely, tired, and sad. She shook her green head. She had never been tired before... But... 

Although it had been a long time, she could still remember when she began to become... what she was... too.

She scrunched up her nose, trying to remember what it felt like to be heartbroken. She couldn't even remember her man's name.

She simply knew him as exactly that: him.

She felt a pang in her stomach.

Was that... Hunger?

It had been a long time since she had felt that.

With a look at the house and a sigh, she began to float towards her favorite place.

And with a small smile, she wondered what it would feel like to die.

* * *

_A/N: Okay... Well, tell me what you thought! Oh, and the next chapter should be out in a week or less._

_Awesome Rapidash- Thank you!!! I just randomly came up with it and I guess it works! Here's the next chapter!_

_Serene Pirate- Thank you too!!! Did you enjoy this chapter as much as the first? And thanks for the compliments!_

_Suri-Garasu- I'm going to keep going, and it's plenty thanks to support! I hope you liked this! Thanks!_

_A note: All reviewers absolutely ROCK. Thank you so much!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Well, here's the next chapter! This week, I've got something that will take up a lot of my time. the week after that, I'm on vacation with no internet. So updating will be slow. I'm sorry! Thanks to all reviewers! Please read, review, and enjoy!_

Goddess

Chapter 3

She woke up that morning, unknowing that the sun rose at the exact same time. Thankfully, she could not feel the heat from it better than anyone else... So far.

Stepping outside, feeling a headache coming on, she looked around her surroundings with a weary glance.

Everything seemed perfectly normal. However, if she wanted to run the farm properly, she needed plants, animals, and money. She felt a slight shiver at the thought of growing plants. If she grew seeds, and they grew as plants always did with her, she would have a mob of angry and questioning villagers on her hands.

"Silly, just control them, it's not that hard," a lofty yet slightly sad voice countered from just above her.

She almost jumped out of her skin.

"My dog is enough, I don't need the birds talking to me too!" She cried, on the edge of a mental breakdown.

"I'm not a bird. How hard is it for you to look up?"

She did as she was told, and floating above her was a woman with green hair, clothed in tight-fitting flowing white robes. Her green hair seemed to glow, and although it was slightly curly, there was not a tangle in sight. She laughed, but her eyes did not laugh with her.

"Y-you-"

"I'm the Harvest Goddess." She glanced lazily at Jill before murmuring, "Don't scream."

Seeing as that was what she was about to do, she glanced into the Goddess' eyes, wonder showing.

"You're quite dense. The first time I showed myself to that Carter man, he threw himself on his knees and cried for salvation before I said a word." She reached out a perfect white hand to Jill. "Well? Are you going to come up here so I can show you what to do with those blasted plants? They'll suck up all the energy you can muster if you don't show them who's boss."

"You mean to tell me that-"

"What did you think was happening when those plants grew out of control on your little date?"

Pain stabbed through Jill as she realized that this woman knew what had happened to her, knew what was going on. Which meant that, in some way, she had to be responsible. "It wasn't a _little date_," she hissed quietly, wishing she had the nerve to punch the woman.

"All right, all right." She turned serious. "I'm sorry." She smiled weakly, and the sadness pouring from her eyes was like a slap in the face to Jill. "You have no idea what's happening to you, do you?" She asked softly, gently. "I think it's the cruelest thing that Anila could come up with to bring us into our position."

"Anila?" Jill's anger vanished, leaving her only with the same amount of sadness mixed with curiosity.

"Never mind that. All right, go get some seeds so I can show you what to do."

"I deserve to know what's happening to me," Jill whispered, voice trembling, blue eyes wildly searching the Goddess' eyes for an answer. "Why am I... Like this? Why are you telling me these things?"

The woman's green hair quivered as she bit her lip. She had not been put in a situation like this before. She had been on the other end, though, and she knew the answer she had to say.

"You'll know soon enough."

* * *

Cliff pushed his ear against the floor. 

"Are you listening in again?" Asked Gray from the corner. He lay on his stomach on his messed up bed, eyes purposefully scanning the pages of the worn book in front of him.

Cliff had a slight blush as he sat up. "Gray, she's talking again."

"What a shock," Gray said. "Ann talking. That explains my shattered ear drum. Thanks for shedding some light on the situation, Cliff, because I was completely baffled."

Cliff was not one to get into a fight, and he sensed that Gray was being particularly moody for a reason, so he let the insult drop. Not that he cared about it, anyway, he reminded himself fiercely.

"But Doug's out tonight, Gray. I'm sure of it. I saw him leave. Who could she be talking to?"

"Her boyfriend," Gray muttered, not paying attention to Cliff's truthful situation.

Cliff's blush disappeared, but his face remained a tomato red. "S-she doesn't have-"

Gray shut his book loudly, eyes on fire with some sort of wild fury that Cliff had never seen before. "Ann can have a million people over, for all I care," he hissed in a fury, "Just as long as I can get some decent sleep around here, and a room without a stupid roommate who won't shut up about his crush talking to herself!" He flipped around, threw his book on the floor, and pulled the covers over his head. The light went out, leaving a puzzled, worried Cliff. His roommate might be shy and moody, but he certainly was never outright cruel to anyone like this.

Remembering the girl with the self-straightening blonde hair, and Ann's strange words in her one-sided conversation, he shook his head and stood up, muttering.

"Something is seriously wrong in Mineral Town."

* * *

"Happy birthday!" He placed an arm around her shoulder and gave her a peck on the cheek as she blushed. 

"You really didn't have to," Jill said, taking the green box covered with delicate blue flowers in her hand shyly.

"Of course I did!" He gave her a squeeze and her mother smiled knowingly at her from across the deep brown oak table.

She gently began to tear off the wrapping paper, smiling at him as she did so.

When she was done, it revealed a simple blue rose pendant, its stem a delicate curve. It hung on a silver chain, and he gently took it from her hands and hung it around her neck.

It felt warm to the touch, and though it wasn't diamonds or rubies, she felt it was her most precious possession.

She walked slowly over to the mirror, and stared at it for a full five minutes.

She clasped her hands around it, and was surprised to feel a soft beat, like a heart. Though it somehow sent a warm chill down her spine, she still loved it so.

He placed an arm around her waist, and she looked at the two of them in the mirror, together, seemingly perfect. But as he placed a kiss upon her forehead and went back to his chair, she still stared at herself in the mirror, mesmerized.

The pendant represented her fears from that dreadful night, her worries with every new crack that appeared in her life's mirror, and everything she had ever experienced with him.

She slowly clasped her hands around it again and closed her eyes as the slow, steady beat greeted her. And so she promised to herself to never, ever, to take it off.

* * *

Jill had refused to do anything the Goddess said. If she didn't have answers, then she wouldn't comply. 

The Harvest Goddess knew that she should have forced her to do it anyway, should have taken control of her body or not let her stay inside her house.

But she reminded the Goddess so much of herself when it happened. So much of her stubborness, her wanting to know, her knowledge that it was her RIGHT to know.

She forced herself to halfheartedly try and pull her out of her little shack, only to be greeted by shocking resistance and a wall of fury and hurt like she had never seen.

She realized, with a shock, that her time and power as the Goddess was waning, faster than ever. She didn't have much time at all.

Jill had arrived late, maybe too late.

* * *

As she thought this, she felt a dark force coming upon her. 

"Having problems?" He sneered. "You Goddesses are all alike. You become, you live, you die. It's a pathetic cycle."

"And what do you do?" She replied, weakly. "Take lives? Ruin all we've ever worked for? Make our job harder?"

"Me? _I_ used to be where you are. _I_ used to run everything in that stupid town."

"And then you turned sour, and now they're without a God or Goddess. Idiot!" Her eyes flashed. "You had it. You gave it all up willingly. I refuse to take the blame for your problems! You're lucky I don't get rid of you!"

She felt him grow sour, then triumphant. "You mean you can't get rid of me." His voice grew slightly louder. "And I've already worked something out for the future."

"You fool," she hissed, all patience she had gone. "You'll die just like I will!!"

"I may die." His hooded face nodded, as the horrible feeling he gave off increased. Jill, inside, turned in her sleep as nightmares began. "But you should remember that I, too, can find a replacement."

The Goddess' eyes widened with fury, fear, and surprise. "You wouldn't dare!! Don't you already do enough?! Every year at a certain time you destroy everything!"

"It's called Winter, my dear," he cackled. "And it's about to become a lot worse."

Her mouth flapped open and shut as he went away. But as the shock was gotten over, she realized what she had to do. Then, her mouth set in a determined line, she went to get seeds, and then to wake Jill. A contest had begun, a contest that held the town in the balance.

And the Harvest Goddess could not lose.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks to all reviewers! Normally I'd leave personal messages, but something about it is down on my computer so I can't access the reviews! Thank you so much to those who did! Well, goodbye! The next chapter will be up soon!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I'm so sorry for the wait! I was on vacation! Anyhoo, thanks so much to my reviewers and everybody who reads this. You're awesome! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'm sorry that it's a bit short. Please read, review, and enjoy! I don't own Harvest Moon._

Goddess

4

"Don't TOUCH the plant!" The Harvest Goddess smacked Jill's hand away and let out another screech. "Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

Jill wearily looked up. The Harvest Goddess had not taken no for an answer, this time. And she glowed in a strong, determined way.

"Is it even possible for me to kill myself?" She asked, looking down at herself, trying to imagine the faint glow she saw coming from her skin as a reflection of the sun.

The Harvest Goddess let out a tired smile. "You're right. I don't think so. Why don't you take a break? Meet the delightful villagers."

"You say that like they're not so delightful."

She sighed. "Many don't believe in me anymore. The people that are your age have so many problems to deal with that they can't concentrate on their lives, much less me."

"Problems?"

"You'll see many during your time. I feel lucky that I won't be around to see it." Her eyes grew sad, yet strangely satisfied.

"What?!" Jill stumbled up and looked at her in shock.

The sadness left her, and the Goddess smiled down at her. "Never mind."

Jill's blue eyes widened as she slowly began to back away.

'Calm down, Jill. She must be kidding. Why would she be gone? She probably just won't be around me all the time... Yeah, that's it. That has to be it,' she thought desperately.

"I'm going to go say hello to the villagers," she said weakly, turning and almost fleeing.

* * *

Although she had walked through the town before, it had almost been like a dream, and her memories were clouded. 

"Was the Inn this way or-"

"Come BACKK!" A childish voice begged, yelling all the same.

She turned, expecting to find a small child, perhaps playing hide and seek or trying to tag along with their older sibling. Instead, she got a mouthful of feathers and a girl that looked 16 with bright pink hair and red eyes.

"I'm sorry... Normally she stays in her pen." Popuri picked up the chicken from Jill's shoulder, where it was happily rubbing her neck. She giggled. "Look at her. She likes you, I think."

Jill glanced behind the girl, and saw several pens filled with chickens, all which had their black eyes set on her, their heads up, not one pecking the ground. If she stayed much longer, there would be, no doubt, several more escapes.

"I'm Popuri Chite." She smiled, the image of innocence. "Who are you?"

Jill gave Popuri a weak smile, and held out her hand. "Jill Green."

* * *

"Don't you dar-" Ann whacked the stupid bug on the head with her duster, miraculously not squishing it. "I don't want to hear a WORD of it! Be QUIET! I KNOW she's here, got it?!" She sighed and dumped herself in a chair. "She better get a move on if she wants to have a suitable replacement before she dies." 

"Hello, Ann. So it's true that you talk to yourself, and not just scream at others. Hm. Cliff was right."

She scrambled up from the chair. "GAAAHHHH!!" She whirled around to face a... SMIRKING?... Gray, who pulled her braid and crossed his arms. "Oh, hello, Gray. You surprised me." Her eyes narrowed. Gray had never once said a word to her before. So why was he talking now? And insulting her, as well.

"I know. You're fairly easy to do that to." Gray then turned, and left the Inn.

Ann scowled at the back of his head, then felt a chill creep down her spine. Eyes widening, she sprinted up the stairs. "MOTHER!!!!"

* * *

"And now we're back at my house!" Popuri squealed, motioning to the... delights... of the chickens. They had just finished a tour of the town. "Oh, I forgot to introduce you to Rick! And Mom!" 

As if on cue, a boy with sandy blonde hair and glasses appeared.

"Rick!" Popuri gave a wave and proceeded to drag Jill over to him. "This is Jill Green. Jill, this is my brother, Rick Chite."

Rick smiled at the two of them, and then shoved both his sleeves up, and walked towards the chickens.

"Rick feeds them, and-" Her eyes focused on some detail of Rick that Jill couldn't see, and she rushed foward. "Rick, what's that on your arm?"

"Nothing." Rick shoved his right sleeve down, shaking his head. "Back off, Popuri!"

"What IS it?!"

Sensing a fight, Jill hurried back to her farm, mind crowded with the many faces of the villagers.

How could a town like this live? Without any farmer, without much produce except for the chickens and cows... How could a town like this survive? Even the supermarket had limited choices.

"Use your mind, Jill." The Harvest Goddess' voice brought her back to reality. "It's because of me... It's partly because of you, too, now that you're here." She smiled cheerily down at Jill. "You took forever. Come on, we have to get back to the plants."

* * *

Anyone passing by the Green Farm that day would have seen a strange sight- weeds out of control, twenty feet high. Plants that literally grew before their eyes. 

But nobody came along.

Nobody but an unseen floating woman with flowing red hair.

* * *

She was standing alone on an empty pier, waiting for a boat to appear out of the mist. 

Even though he had no idea where she was going, she wished he would appear, hug her tight, and tell her he didn't care how strange she was.

But he couldn't and wouldn't do that.

Her blonde hair blew softly in the wind, shielding her face, which had so much and so little to tell.

If only.

She bent down and pounded her hands upon the deck, tears wetting it as well.

"Are you getting on or not?"

Her head flew up. In front of her was a large boat, with a man hanging over a rail close to her.

"Are you Jill Green?"

"Yes," she called. But afterwards, she whispered to herself, "I'm not really sure anymore."

"Then get on board! We need to get to Mineral Town by tomorrow evening!"

She gave him a weak smile, which the boatman could see. But he couldn't see the pain in her eyes.

When she stood on the deck, she put her arms on the rail, put her face into them, and began to cry.

If only she could hear his voice one last time, telling her that everything was okay. That she didn't need to do this.

The boat gave a loud horn blast, and it was off.

Though the mist, she could barely see the pier between tears and the gap in her arms.

"Jill!" Her head jerked up. But the voice was muffled and far away.

She thought she saw a figure on the pier, waving eagerly to her, in a pleading way.

She smiled sleepily, and waved back to what she imagined was him. She could see it now- His black hair that was constantly messy, blowing in the breeze, his almost-black eyes urging her to come back.

She heard words blow past on the wind. _'I love you_,' they said.

And Jill smiled, and began to laugh and cry at the same time.

After all, it was just her imagination.

* * *

_A/N: Well, I feel really evil. I'm practically torturing poor Jill. Anyhoo, thanks for reading. And thanks to my reviewers!_

_AwesomeRapidash- Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I'm so glad you like it and I hope you liked this one. Thanks for your support!!_

_Morgan Lee Faye- Thanks to you too! I will keep writing, and hopefully I'll get a lot done. Please enjoy my story and thanks again!_

_Wheee, I'm SOOOOO pleased with all the reviews!!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!! You're AWESOME! _

_Oh, the next chapter will probably be out in a week or so._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: This is a really long chapter!! I'm sorry for any wait, but I've been having issues lately with my internet. Anyhoo, please enjoy this chapter, and thanks to all my reviewers! You rock!_

* * *

Goddess

Jill sat in the dirt, her face streaked with sweat, her mouth in a deep and tired frown.

"We've been at this for weeks."

"I know," the Goddess grumbled. "You've barely improved."

"But I'm not as bossy as some," Jill responded wearily.

"You've made good progress with the animals, but your plants leave much to be desired. Half the time when you manage to make them grow, you make the weeds grow too, and choke them to death," the Harvest Goddess mused. "I think if you could learn to concentrate, your work would improve and you'd be suitable."

Jill was not really one to sulk, but she found herself wishing that she could be out visiting with the townspeople.

Although meeting Ann would make her situation more unpleasant (the girl had refused to take the peaceful apology Jill had given her, and instead had told her that she just disliked Jill in general), she had been looking foward to her visits to the unpoppable bubble of joy that was Popuri.

When she was with that girl, her problems seemed to melt away, because Popuri didn't know about them- And because she didn't know, she was always happy, greeting everybody around her with smiles. Even when she was mad at someone, she rarely screamed in anger or frustration. She just pouted, yelled for good measure, and ran away.

Jill so wished she could run away.

The rest of the town girls didn't seem exactly joyous to see her- Mary didn't really seem to truly CARE about anything, except her books and perhaps some mystery boy that Jill strongly guessed was Gray.

Elli was sweet enough, but she lacked the innocence and bright smiles of Popuri, and the sight of the Clinic depressed Jill.

So many hurt people, so many complaints... She had once seen Jeff there, depressed in so many ways. She had even asked the Harvest Goddess why they needed a Clinic- They had her to take care of them, to make sure they won't die young.

The Goddess had bit her lip- A sure sign that something was worrying her about the whole issue. Many times she acted like that, as if she wanted to say something, but then dropped it like a rock.

But finally, with a sigh, she had motioned Jill closer.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this yet, Jill... But I'm not the one who makes the life and death decisions about the humans."

"W-what?!" She sputtered. But the Goddess quieted and wouldn't say anything more.

As for making friends with Elli, it made her head spin to imagine sitting there all day with Elli while trying to talk about her life and goings on.

Karen seemed too much like a sophisticated valley girl to Jill. She had seen more of that in the city than she ever wanted to see again.

But that didn't really matter, because every girl has a certain best friend- One who they'll tell almost every secret except that that they would die to protect- that they like the most. For whatever reason, Jill's was Popuri.

The town gossips couldn't understand why cheery Popuri and 'that gloomy yet pretty farmer girl who's always just sitting around at her farm, sulking' got along so well.

But as the Harvest Goddess called at her back, Jill felt like none of that really mattered to her.

For some reason, Jill always had a sad pain in her stomach whenever Popuri said she'd see her tomorrow, or to come over to her house any time. Guilt.

And though Jill would always call back that she would, a tiny voice in the back of her mind always would whisper,

* * *

"He hasn't gotten any worse, has he?" The woman asked, her hair slowly lowering from it's floating position about an inch. A sure sign that she was worried. 

"I don't think so. He hasn't been any ruder to me than he was about a week ago. He still visits Mary practically every day."

"That's a good sign," the woman concluded, but she still looked troubled. "However, that girl needs so much help that there's no way she can do anything to help Gray."

Ann let out a tired sigh, and rubbed her forehead. "Mother, I just can't see what I'm supposed to do-"

"Ann!! I'm home!" There was a pause and the woman disappeared with a twist of her red locks of hair, and a knowing look at the girl. There was a little gasp from the top of the stairs, of which Ann ignored for the time being. She grabbed a cleaning rag from her pocket, and began to vigorously wipe the table she was behind. "Your garden's wilting, Ann! Water it, or I'll take it out!"

Ann knew that her father was joking, and with this problem going on in the town, she didn't have time to deal with it, so she ignored his comment.

There was a series of loud smacks as somebody fell down from the top of the stairs.

Ann whirled around just as her father entered the Inn, to face...

"Cliff!!" Her face turned as red as her hair, and the now invisible red haired woman chuckled silently with a happy smile, although she couldn't tell if the reddening was because of anger or embarassment, or something else.

She didn't get to find out, as Cliff gave her an innocent smile, to which Ann responded with a glare.

His eyes widened, startled, never seeing the cheerful girl have such a murderous look on her face before.

"Ann?"

She whirled around, and gave her father a pure white, flashing smile. A fake one.

"Don't I get a hug anymore?" Doug wailed in fake mourning. "My own teenage daughter..." He spotted Cliff, and raised one red eyebrow. "Hm..." His smile grew sly as he took a excited step towards the two. "Breaking apart from your kiss before your old man entered, Ann? How shameful of you! You didn't have to knock the poor boy down!" Her face did color out of both this time, and she immediately raised a fist, starting a yell.

"Dad-"

"We need to have a talk, Cliff-" Doug began. But Ann cut him off between seconds.

"I need to have a TALK with HIM," she spat, her anger now directed at poor Cliff, who managed to shrink into the floor even more than he had already done.

She grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him off towards the church without a second thought.

On her way, she muttered to Cliff, but mostly to herself.

"You better not have heard ANYTHING, you rotten eaves-"

On their way, as she crossed the intersection between the Inn road and Rose Square's road- And ran smack into Jill.

* * *

Jill liked to go to the church that Carter led. It was small and cozy, but big and impressive all at the same time. She had gone to churches before, but never for the Harvest Goddess. 

But all the other churches seemed to be full of small preachers yelling what they hoped were good messages at the full pews, most of shifting children getting their hands slapped as they tried to scratch an itch or some such.

But this church, nobody was REQUIRED by their religion to go to. Popuri and her family often went, every Sunday. This church, when you went in, you WANTED to be there.

She had come several times during the weeks, and it would give her a sense of relaxation as Carter would preach strange stories about their Goddess, who seemed much more holy and powerful than she did in person.

But when she heard stories like that, she glowed with a sense of... Pride. Like it was HER he was talking about, not the Harvest Goddess.

She'd let his words flow over her, lessons and hopes.

It gave her something more important than what the Goddess was giving her.

A sense that everything was going to be all right, and a pride and confidence in herself.

So it was not irregular that she was heading to the church that afternoon, after lunch with Popuri and her family, and her helping to feed the chickens, most of whom adored her (the Chites had taken advantage of this, seeing as the chickens froze stock still when Jill entered their pen, some venturing up near her, then squawking and running to the safety of the other frozen chickens. They had taken to waiting to feed the feisty chickens until after Jill arrived).

She was buried in her own thoughts of what she knew the day to come would be filled with- attempted tries at learning to understand and work her godly powers...

Godly. The Harvest Goddess, talking to her, teaching her how...

'It isn't possible. Gods don't die,' she thought. But she thought she recalled a story that Carter had told, something about... She had to ask him.

She sped up.

If I've got all these godly powers, then

* * *

"Goddess, she's out cold," Cliff whispered, reaching out a hand to touch Jill's face. Ann slapped it away. 

"Morany, are you trying to taint her?! You never, ever get humans near the faces and eyes of go-" Ann stopped herself. "Never mind. Get her on my back, NOW."

"But shouldn't I-"

"NO!" She said, irritably. She couldn't take that risk.

Cliff silenced himself, hoisting Jill up upon Ann's back without touching her face (or skin, for that matter).

Ann straightened and began to walk briskly, seemingly with no weight on her at all.

Cliff watched her in silence. Ann was strong, yes, but...

"For Morany's sake, get OVER here, Cliff!"

* * *

Jill's eyes opened twice that day- Once on Ann's back. 

She had looked with glazed eyes at seemingly thin air, and then let out a contented sigh.

"You won't let anything happen to me, will you?" She asked with a slur.

Ann froze, about to charge into the Clinic and demand a bed.

Apparently, she was satisfied with the red haired woman's answer, because she then fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next time she woke, it was for an even shorter time.

The Clinic walls were pure white, and for a second, she thought she was back in the hospital room...

* * *

"I don't CARE. Let me in the room!" 

"She's... She's radiating high levels of something," the nurse squeaked. "We think it's radiation, but we aren't sure if it is or even why..." She let out a little whimper. "I'm sorry, sir, but until we're sure the doctor won't let anybody in there without a special suit on..."

"I'm her fiance, for heaven's sake!" His voice became even more hard. "Let me in! If she's hurt, then she needs me!"

Jill next heard the familiar lilting voice of her doctor.

"Jill is doing just fine, sir. She does seem to be radiating something, but our scanners show that it's been happening for a while. You two live together, correct?"

She didn't hear any noise, so she figured he gave a nod.

"Then in Jill's best interest, I say we should check you for this strange thing too. We can't do extensive tests on Jill, because of her injury, but if you've got the same thing, then it might be your new house. We'll probably even be able to tell what's happened and what she's radiating."

He gave a sigh that signaled he would give in, but then...

"I can't let you do tests on me without knowing what they are first."

The doctor's new tone was questioning and almost... accusing. "Sir, for Jill's health, we may have to insist. If you had anything to do with this strange new issue, you must tell us."

His tone became equally rock hard and accusing. "Why can't you doctors figure it out? If I do have whatever Jill does, it certainly isn't dangerous, because why would I give it to myself if I was responsible? And if I don't have it, then how in the world would observing me help you?"

The doctor seemed to grasp for words.

Jill had never heard him act that way before. He had once told her he disliked people who didn't really care- And he apparently thought doctors were trying to play as god, with people's lives in the balance.

"I don't care if your test on me gives you more MONEY. I just want you to heal Jill's injury, and she and I will work on whatever this radiating thing is."

"It might be dangerous to the-"

"Dangerous, my foot. She has a mother that she visits almost every day, that's shown no illness at all. Her father as well. I have a puppy that lives with us that's extremely healthy. I'M healthy. So don't you give me any of this dangerous stuff." He apparently had something to thump a fist on, because there was a loud thumping noise and the click of shoes on the hard tile floor.

The door to her room had slid open and shut, with the footsteps now in her room.

He sat down on the edge of her bed, and she felt a hand smooth away her bangs, then come to rest on her cheek. He didn't speak a word, but just his touch was more comforting than any of the medicines the doctors had given her.

* * *

"I heard. Is she going to be all right?" Popuri was on the verge of tears. Childish, many would say, but justified. 

Carter sat in her little room along with Popuri (who was holding Jill's puppy) and a little boy named Stu, who she liked immensely. He was another completely innocent soul. "She's opened her eyes," Carter said softly.

"Is that an answer to you?" She could hear the happiness in the Doctor's voice.

Elli was sitting next to her bedside. "A little rest and she'll be just fine! With the proper medicines, of course."

'Sleep?' Her puppy barked, not seeming to understand. 'Sleep long! Hungry! Hungry! FOOOOODDDD... Chewy pink! Like cloud sugar!'

"He missed you," Popuri translated, unneeded and quite unknowing of what the real message was. The puppy began to reach for her pink hair with his teeth. She squealed and laughed, but pushed the puppy onto Jill's bed all the same.

Jill gave a tired little chuckle, as Stu said, "Are you gonna be okay? Gramma wanted to come too, but she's been a bit sick recently."

"Tell her I said hello," she said weakly, smiling at the... friends... She had chosen from the town.

"Did you do this on purpose to escape work?" A voice suggested from the ceiling, letting out a little giggle. But the tone grew serious as Jill looked up. "Really, Jill. You need to get back to what we were doing. We don't have any time to lose."

Jill felt a tug of knowledge in the back of her mind, something she was remembering right around the time that she fainted...

But her thought was broken as the Goddess sighed. "I guess it's never too early for a healing lesson. You'll get hurt plenty of times, and medicine will never help. Now, take a deep breath..."

"I just woke up from having fainted and you're already teaching me again?" Jill groaned.

The Harvest Goddess made a clicking noise with her tongue. "Don't do that. They'll think you're delirious and want you to stay longer. They can't see me, you know. Of course, you can. You have an amazing ability to see us."

Jill was too tired to ask what she meant, but simply took in a deep breath, then nodded her head, as if saying, "Go on."

"Now do you feel a certain warmth in your chest, kind of... Well... It should be tingling."

Jill nodded.

"Concentrate that warmth on your head. It'll help take away the headache and any other pains you feel. Physically, of course." She smiled dryly. "We can't do anything about emotionally."

Jill did as she was told.

* * *

"You did wonderfully, Elli. You gave her all the right medicines." 

Elli smiled shyly at the Doctor. "Thanks." She looked down at the paper in front of her on her desk. Jill had gone off a little while ago, mentioning something about how she had to get back to work. Her friends had left with her.

Her smile turned quickly into a frown.

"What is it?" He asked, coming over to look at her paper.

Elli's frown turned into a gasp of horror.

"What are you looking at?" He asked, leaning over the desk to observe the paper.

On top, the form said, 'Jill Green's Health History'.

"Look at this." Elli pointed a shaking finger to "Mental State" and the caption below it.

The Doctor picked up the sheet and read, he too growing a deep frown that turned into shock.

**'Mental State: Patient has had several questionable experiences. Once threw herself off a seaside cliff, claiming that she could 'fly', after being knocked aside the head. No concussion. Explanation unknown. Suffered from scraping rock jutting out of ocean below. Tide washed her up to shore.**

**Dove underwater in the ocean and did not come up. Apparently saw something underwater.**

**Claims that she was once kidnapped by a man with a Spanish accent. No evidence and spoke of it only to psychiatrist.**

**Claims to have seen little men circling her home when her fiance was away.**

**All evidence suggests that she is not in a completely healthy mental state, but she has been diagnosed from the government as having Classified Disease #2, which clears many mental charges.'**

Elli collapsed back into her seat.

The Doctor froze.

"Classified Disease #2?" Elli asked weakly.

The Doctor seemed to freeze up. "The Classified Diseases are not to be laughed at. They're government enacted, and besides their numbers they are top secret information."

Elli looked in surprise at the Doctor. "You mean we don't know what she has?"

The Doctor gave a thoughtful, stressed frown. "No, we don't. But I think that it's something very important."

The Harvest Goddess hovered over Jill as she slept that night, trying to go into her memories.

She had suspected that Jill had seen something when she fainted, something that she was trying to hide, for a while, at least.

She crossed her arms and let out a silent sigh.

'Poor girl.' She paused, her face growing a sad smile. 'But her pain will make her a wonderful Goddess.'

* * *

_A/N: Ooooohhh... Revealed what I already revealed in my story summary (Kiaya whacks author on head with hammer). Anyway, yay for Jill! And yay for reviewers!_

_fennecfox03- Yaaaayyy, thanks a bunch! I hope you liked this chapter too!_

_Awesome Rapidash- More continued support from you!!! You ROCK!! I'm not sure if this was a week, but I sure hope so... Anyhoo, thanks so much for everything!!! I hope you enjoyed this!_

_Anyway, if my internet permits it, I'll have the next chapter in a week or so! Oh, and I don't own Harvest Moon or any characters. _


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Well, it seems like forever since I've typed on this! Anyhoo, I don't own Harvest Moon, although I really like it. Thanks to all my reviewers, because you rock! I hope everybody enjoys this new chapter! Wheeeee to Jill!_

* * *

Goddess

6

"Hey, Jill?" Popuri asked, pausing. The two were sitting together on the beach, waiting for the ferry to come that would bring a guy called Kai to the town. Their sand castle they were building was almost complete.

"Yes?" Jill was wary- The tone in Popuri's voice was not usual. A breeze blew coldly through, reflecting Jill's slightly icy tone.

"Do you have somebody that you like?"

The wind immediately stopped, as Jill was sent emotionally reeling from the blow that her best friend had unknowingly caused.

"Jill?!" She gasped, leaning over the girl's body, which now lay on the sand, convulsing.

But slowly, Jill stopped, and concentrated her blue eyes on the sky, which matched her eyes exactly in color and mood.

Popuri let out a gasp of relief, but continued to look at her friend as if she had just died.

"D-did I say something wrong?"

Jill's blue eyes closed, tears threatening to spill over. "N-no, Popuri. It's not you."

Popuri's eyes widened. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." She paused. "Forget I asked, please, Jill. Are you all ri-"

Jill sat up, her eyes now on the sea.

"Here comes the ferry," she said softly, standing. "I came across on it, too." She paused, her voice nearing hysteria. "I don't think I'll ever like anyone again, Popuri." The leftover ice in her eyes slowly melted away, then she turned to Popuri with only warmth. "What about you?"

Popuri didn't respond at first, just looked out into the clear horizon, where a ferry was slowly chugging towards them.

"I think I like Kai," she responded, a sad little smile on her face. "I don't know how he feels about me." She swallowed. "That's actually even pulled out. I know he doesn't like me. When he looks at me... He doesn't look at me." She shrugged sadly. "It's a bit complicated, I know."

"Not at all. I know what you mean." Jill had experienced that sort of man before... But the sight of her best friend like this... Hopeless and tired... Lost and wanting... Made her want to crush this Kai to pieces.

As soon as she thought that, she regretted it.

"No!" She screamed to the heavens, watching as her ears heard thunder... Seconds later, lightning crashed down, barely missing the boat.

Popuri immediately looked up from her reverie, her eyes full of worry and warmth for this Kai on the boat.

She immediately brought her hands together and began a prayer.

Jill wearily watched her. How a beautiful, blue, sunny day had transformed into one of storms, along with a lightning bolt nearly missing the very man she had wanted to crush... She put her head in her hands, realizing, with a shock, that her anger was very, very dangerous.

As she thought this, she heard the familiar voice.

"Jill, what did you do?" Her eyes were not hardened with pure anger, unlike Jill's had been. She had learned long ago that anger brought down terror and nothing good.

She bit her lip, watching Popuri as she murmured her lines of prayer.

"You almost capsized that boat." She floated down closer to Jill, holding out her hands, her eyes now sad. "You realized it beforehand, thankfully." She smiled, and Jill looked into her eyes... "I didn't."

Jill's eyes widened. "Oh," was all she could say. "Oh."

Just then Popuri looked at the two- And for a second, Jill thought she saw the Harvest Goddess. But then the girl blinked, and she showed no sign of wonder or surprise.

"I hope Kai's okay," she whispered.

The Harvest Goddess looked towards the sea. "Jill," she had said, slowly. "Don't stray too near the sea, all right?"

Jill wanted to respond, but Popuri was there, gazing at the spot where the Goddess was strangely.

"Hey!"

There was a bumping noise, and a sliding noise, as Kai began to descend the ramp.

She did not have to look to know he was coming down- The FEELING coming off of him was amazingly strong, much more so than anyone else.

His voice sent chills down her spine.

Although he seemed english enough, she could hear the accent beneath the slightly rough voice.

Spanish.

Popuri raced to him, arms wide. He accepted her hug without comment, though Popuri couldn't seem to stop babbling.

His eyes were firmly fixed on Jill.

Without thinking, she turned, and ran.

* * *

It was several days into Summer- And Jill had not left her farm once since Kai had arrived. Popuri had once visited, requesting a picnic... Which she had wanted to go on, but Kai had been invited too. 

Though she was sure that he was not the man who had kidnapped her that foggy night, he bore a strong resemblance to him.

And the way he looked at Jill made her want to run to the far ends of the earth, and hide.

The summer days reflected her mood- Strangely cool, and (the townspeople couldn't help but wonder about this) were always rainy, or at least cloudy.

That morning, it had seemed like any other Summer day. She had decided to fish with the rod that Zack had given her in the river on her property.

When she threw the fishing rod in, she felt a strange feeling coming from the water. As she leaned over the river, the reflection shot back up at her shocked her to no end.

An older version of herself sat there, green hair flowing outwards, still long. It twisted in with the streams of gurgling water in the river, making her appear as though she belonged there.

She wrenched herself away from the projection, and then warily leaned over again.

There was ordinary, tired, sad Jill, her blonde hair perfectly in order, but slightly limp. Her pupils drowning in the blue of her eyes.

She closed her eyes, blocking out what she saw. She could not have been the woman in the river... That must have been the Harvest Goddess, playing a trick...

The Harvest Goddess.

With a shock, she realized that she had not seen the Harvest Goddess since that day at the beach.

Normally, she was always floating in and out of Jill's daily life, popping up and scaring her every once in a while, or saying things that Jill couldn't talk back to in front of the villagers.

Many of the adults in the village always would talk about her.

"She glares at nothing," Sasha had said once to Jeff (Jeff actually quite liked the girl, possibly because sometimes she looked more pitiful than he himself). "Thin air. And the Doctor and Elli refuse to talk about her health with anybody. I think she's insane."

Lillia had been around when she had said that. "Nonsense. Popuri's found nothing wrong with her. In fact, I rather like Jill. She's always kind and polite, and never pushes into your business," she added with daggers in her usually tired eyes.

But why hadn't she been around recently?

So for the first time, Jill decided to go out into town. Just to the church. Carter would know where the Harvest Goddess supposedly stayed, or where people worshipped her or whatever. And if he didn't seem to know, then the little kids would. Stu would probably tell her. As for May... Well, she didn't feel as fond towards May.

"Jill?" The childish voice brought Jill snapping to attention. Popuri.

She turned in the correct direction and sheepishly looked at her best friend. Perhaps former.

"Hi, Popuri."

Popuri looked slightly drained, but there was still a load of hurt in her ruby eyes.

"Jill, you haven't visited me in a while," she said quietly.

Jill winced. Popuri was a good friend and a link now to a normal world she might never know again. But Popuri's connection with Kai...

"Yes," she responded weakly.

Popuri bit her lip. "J-Jill, I like Kai, but you're still... You're still my best friend. I don't want us to break apart because you don't... Because you don't like him."

Jill reeled back. Popuri was childish and innocent enough, but she was much more mature than she appeared when she wanted to be. Although she knew nothing of the reasons behind it, she had hit the problem on the nose.

Jill couldn't manage more than to squeak, "I just didn't know how to say it."

Popuri gave a weak little smile. "I can't stop hanging out with him entirely- After all, he's only around for the summer, and I want to see him and be with him. But I want to hang out with you, too."

Jill's eyes gained a new tinge of blue- Blue as a cloudless sky, pure. Happy. But it quickly faded into simple relief, and Jill gave her best friend a squeeze and then continued on her way to church.

* * *

The Harvest Goddess liked it at the bottom of the pool... 

Where it was utterly quiet except for the constant beat of the waterfall.

It was the only place where she could get peace.

Sometimes, she felt herself

melting

away

in

the

water.

Peace and

quiet.

But

she

could

not

let

herself

go.

Not yet. Jill still needed guidance. She could not replace the Harvest Goddess properly yet.

She wasn't ready.

The Harvest Goddess did not know how long she had been down in the water, or why the water was the only place that offered relief...

But she did know that she needed to surface now, to finish Jill. Then maybe...

She

could

melt

away

* * *

Jill slowly bent over the pond, blue eyes searching the clear water. The Harvest Goddess wasn't there. 

She dipped one finger in the water, and before her eyes, the always-shifting pool shifted into a familiar shape.

The Goddess slowly rose from the pond, not at all wet, but her body, in Jill's eyes, was...

If Jill squinted... She could almost see through the Goddess, to the blue water tinted an even purer shade of blue than Jill's own.

She smiled weakly at Jill, then slowly floated over to Jill's side, and sat down, her feet dangling in the water.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, Jill. But I can't keep this up for much longer. I'm going to be gone by this Winter, and I can't do anything about it." She paused. "I need to tell you what you are."

Jill simply kneeled beside her, hands deftly fingering her blond hair.

"As you know, there is always a Goddess in Mineral Town. Or at least, there should be. Right now, I'm the Goddess." She sighed softly, years of pain drifting through the air. "But although there is always a Goddess... We can't stay alive forever, not like the true Gods. They, and Him, rule everything, the world. But small Gods like me... We don't live forever, and we must be replaced." She swished the water about with her pale legs, watching Jill for a reaction. "You see, we may hold a certain amount of power... But our souls are human. They always will be. Their time may be lengthened, but cannot last forever. And... My time has almost come. Soon my soul will lose its grip on this world, and I'll go on to heaven."

Jill felt icy pain in her heart. "You need a replacement," she whispered.

The Harvest Goddess smiled softly. "I have a replacement. It's you."

* * *

"We need to talk." Her voice trembled, knowing very well that if he didn't believe her, she'd be put into the nearest insane asylum. 

He didn't respond, just unlocked the front door and stepped inside. He then took her hand and pulled her inside with him.

"I'm serious."

"They gave you too much medication. That's all," he muttered to her, but also to himself.

They were now at their small house, the hospital now left behind.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but he firmly pressed her down onto their slightly tattered sofa, and went into their small kitchen, returning shortly with two steaming cups of what Jill supposed was tea.

He handed one cup to her, and set his on the nearby table. She took a small sip, and almost choked. The 'tea' made her throat feel on fire. He slowly sat down beside her, and she hastily placed her cup next to his.

"This... What's happened to me."

"Nothing's happened," he firmly stated.

"I threw myself off a cliff! Something happened!" She raised her voice, trying to block out hysteria.

"Drink." He shoved the cup of burning liquid back in her hands.

"N-no, it's... I don't want to. But that's not the point! You're not listening to me!"

"Does it burn?" He demanded suddenly, his voice cold.

He had never, ever directed that tone at her before. She looked at him as if slapped.

He wouldn't look her in the eye. "Tell me, Jill."

"I need... You need to know." She couldn't let him get married to her, couldn't let him go through with it, unless he knew. Unless he assured her that it was nothing, or that he didn't care even if she was different. "I'm not like everybody else. I'm not." She set her cup down, turning to face him, a begging look in her eye.

"It burns," he answered for her, his eyes reflecting pain, guilt, sorrow... He grabbed her hands, holding them tight against his chest.

She closed her eyes, wondering why he was concentrating on something as miniscule as her tea.

"Please..." She was silenced by his look of pain and a kiss.

But it was nothing like any other kiss they'd ever shared. Normally it was she who would be begging, or clutching tighter, or getting hope from him. But now... He was the one that was upset, the one that was scared.

He broke it, bringing her into a hug, saying he was sorry.

He shouldn't have been sorry.

She was the one who had wrecked everything.

He rocked her slowly, and she tried to quiet herself to the beating of his heart...

And that was when she realized.

He had no heartbeat.

* * *

She put her hands to her head. "Why... Why me?" 

The Goddess did not try to smile. "It's always been you, since the day you were born. Your soul..." She shook her head and did not finish. "Jill, I know it's hard for you. But you need to be strong. I can't be... And you must take my place. You must face him."

"Face who?" She lifted her head out of her hands.

"Every town has a God or Goddess. Every town but one."

Jill's eyes widened. "Why don't they?"

The Harvest Goddess shook her head. "He lost himself, he lost a part of his soul. It's the most horrid thing that can ever happen to a person. It's like when they're defeated. He fell in love with someone... And she died. He blamed the higher Gods and Goddesses. And so he gave up everything, and went out to search for something that can bring the dead back to life. He became what no God has ever become before. He became a Talec."

"What's a Talec?"

The Harvest Goddess paused, and lowered her voice. "A God that has turned his or her back on the world. They're very dangerous. They can destroy a town. They can destroy everything."

"So he's destroying his old town?" Jill felt sorrow for the poor town. The people there...

"No." The Harvest Goddess grimaced with an unknown weight of sadness. "He's destroying ours."

* * *

_A/N: Yay, it's talking time! Wow, I really switch personalities. Oh, well! Go Harvest Moon!_

_fennecfox03- Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Well, this kinda explains the Spanish thing. I don't have anything against Spanish people, but Kai just always kinda looked like it to me! Anyhoo, thanks so much for your support and I hope you liked this!_

_Pause11- I'm not quite sure what to say to this, so I'm sorry if I sound mean or something. This is my first criticism I've ever received. I know that criticism is important to grow in skills as an author, and I want to do that. However, your statement on my piece does not specify why it's hard to read. I'd really like to make improvements... But authors often have issues with seeing their own problems, maybe because I know what's going on, and it makes sense to me. I'll look over my previous chapters and try to see why they're difficult, but if you review again (and I hope you do, to try and see improvement), please tell me exactly why it's problematic. Thanks!_

_Awesome Rapidash- I think I've really advanced the plot in this chapter!! Yaaayyy!! Thank you so much for your continued support of my story, and I'm so glad that you like it!! You rock! Thank you!!! I hope you liked this!!_

_Okay, so... I'll see everybody in a week or so!!! Thanks so much to everybody who reads and everybody who reviews!! You rock my world!! _


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I'm so sorry for any wait!!! My computer went a bit ditzy, so... Anyhoo, thanks to all of my reviewers, and all of my readers!! You guys rock!! Thanks for reading this story. Please read, review, and enjoy this chapter!!_

Goddess

7

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow, then." Jill gave a shy wave. Although the Goddess had been around day and night, she had only after her confession (which she had given a week or so ago) softened up towards Jill.

The Goddess gave her a warm, yet tired smile, and Jill thought she saw the ever-glowing yellow-white light around the Goddess fade.

But then she blinked, and the light was back, and the Harvest Goddess was not weary at all.

"Right. You did very well today. We're making progress."

Jill turned and left, as the Goddess sank back into the pond, letting, for once, a content expression cross her face.

It was late into Summer, a time that Jill found she liked. The trees rustling in the warm breeze, the ripe, sweet, juicy berries lying around (several which she had tried to plant in her yard, and managed to succeed), Popuri and she throwing a frisbee on the beach in the early morning, when Kai was gone... The Summer before her seemed to stretch on forever.

The thought that the Harvest Goddess was dying and that she would have to replace her often slipped her mind as she ran a brush through her new cow's fur, watching it moo in peaceful bliss. As she spent her Summer days working, and the stress of Spring and new beginnings was off her shoulders.

Yes, Jill liked Summer.

She almost ran down the narrow path that exited the Goddess Pond, birds cheerfully greeting her in bursts of bright song. Then her mood was broken.

"Hey!"

Jill whipped around, almost to her farm, recognizing the voice immediately.

Kai.

He stepped towards her, not at all nervous.

"I think we got off to a bad start," he said smoothly, raising a hand to shake. "I haven't seen you all Summer, and Popuri's always talking about you."

She glanced at him, unknown hate filling her blue eyes, as her arms quickly crossed. She didn't even have good reason to dislike him- He wasn't her kidnapper. She was just being crazy. She had met him at a desperate time in her life.

She took a small, tired step forward, and slowly grasped his hand. He pumped it up and down almost gently, but with steadiness.

"You can come down to the Beach House anytime you want," he added as he took back his hand. "We serve lots of things the Inn doesn't."

"I never go to the Inn anyway. Ann dislikes me," she said, shoving both hands in her pockets, hating the disgusting feeling she got. It was like his hand was covered with dirt, or slime.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "She's seemed a little cold this year. Normally she's quite okay."

Jill was filled with an overwhelming urge to punch him. It went unexplained as she muttered an apology, something about work, and whirled around, stomping towards her farm.

As soon as she was gone, Gotz ran out of his house.

"Kai! Don't go on the mountain! I think there's gonna be an earthquake."

"I felt the tremors," Kai replied calmly, and went back to the beach.

The girl was getting stronger than she should have been.

* * *

"Gaaahhhh..." There was one thing that Ann hated to do- And that was say she was sorry when she really was right. Although she was nice enough, her stubborn streak would not allow this sort of insult. 

"What's the matter, Ann?" The sight of Cliff seemed to darken her mood even more.

"Morany, Cliff, what's wrong with you?"

He didn't reply, just let his eyes trace her as she paced up and down the walk in front of the entrance to the Green Farm.

"Ann?" The childish, surprised voice came from everybody's favorite pink-haired, red-eyed girl, Popuri. "What are you doing here?" Her look seemed to imply that she thought that Ann was planning on egging Jill's house or something like that.

The girls had been friends when they were children, but time and others had broken them apart. Now, especially with Jill, their relationship hovered near the line of enemies. If Popuri really could have enemies.

"Hi, Popuri." She greeted the girl warmly, deciding this would be a good way to spill the news. The shimmering red-haired woman above her urged her on with a small hand-wave. "Um, are you going to see Jill?"

"Yes..." She again eyed Ann.

"Well, I was wondering... Um... If you'd tell her to meet me by the lake near the mountain today? At... Oh, I don't know... Five pm.?"

"Should I come along?" Popuri seemed slightly brighter, but still a bit suspicious. What if Ann came with several others and tried to beat Jill up?

"No!" Ann immediately yelped, then sighed as Popuri began to walk briskly towards the farm. "Er... It's private, in a way." Popuri stopped.

Popuri raised one pink slender eyebrow and then slowly nodded, edging her way around Ann and Cliff, her shoes tapping on the brick street.

Ann gave a glare to the sky, and muttered,

"I hope you're happy."

* * *

"Jill?" 

Jill whipped around, her hand still enclosed on the pendant behind her back. A suitcase lay on the bed behind her, half-full.

Her mother began to wring her hands.

"Mom," Jill said plainly.

"Is everything okay?" Her mother's eyes darted to the black suitcase, settling on Jill's slightly guilty but determined face.

"Everything's fine," Jill replied coldly. She could slap herself. This was her mother.

Her mother took another slow step forward. "Jill... I'm your mother. You can tell me anything." Her voice was caring. It was like a knife stabbed into Jill's heart, icy cold and deep.

"No."

Her mother looked like she had been struck. Her face began to pale.

"Jill, I..." She didn't finish that sentence. "Did something happen with him?" His name didn't need to be uttered. They both knew who she was talking about.

She turned sharply back to her suitcase, placing the blue rose pendant tenderly into a cushion of shirts. Her mother couldn't see her face. She was so glad of that.

"This has nothing to do with anybody but me," Jill almost spat. "Me, me, me." She didn't let the sorrow fall into her voice. "I hate it."

Her mother bit her lip. "Jill, please... Stop and think."

"I don't want to think!!!" She hated to do it at night, when she could hear the insects calmly singing their buzzing songs. When she could hear every note. Could feel every blade of grass rustle, could see every star up close, feel its warmth. It scared her. "Just go!"

Her mother didn't respond, as Jill heard the door quietly creak closed. She then wiped away her tears.

* * *

Jill lay on her back, glancing at the sky, which was turning a light pink and violet near the sun. A sunset. Perfect and beautiful. 

Ann was late. It was almost night. She heard a wild dog howl, as she shivered.

She heard and felt the soft padding of feet on the grass, and watched as Ann kneeled next to her.

"Are you alone?"

Jill looked into the blue eyes, now darker, their hue sad.

Now resembling her own.

"Yes."

Ann sat beside her.

"I know who you are," she said very bluntly. "And I'm very sorry for anything I've done. It's all been for... For somebody."

Jill raised herself to a sitting position.

"Wait, you know..."

"That you're going to be a Goddess? Yes." Ann's bluntness had a sharp edge.

"How could you?" Jill was shocked. She had not revealed her secret to anyone, even Popuri.

Ann smiled, though it was not happy. The laugh lines in her face, Jill noticed, were disappearing.

"I just know." She paused and messed with her braid, then nodded. "There's something that I want to do, to help you. To help ease the pain. I know it's not easy to leave everybody you love behind." Her voice seemed to choke. "Not easy at all. But Mineral Town needs you to be at your best when you become the Goddess." She slowly reached out a hand towards Jill's neck, unexplained. "May I see your pendant?" She asked, no relevancy at all, but a soft look on her face.

Jill felt protective. It was one of the few things she had of him, besides memories. And those seemed to only give her more pain. But Ann looked like she wouldn't do anything, not right now. Not anything to make the pain worse.

"...I guess." Jill unclasped it, handing her most precious item into Ann's hands.

She smiled weakly as her fingers traced the swirling pattern. "You really loved him, didn't you?"

Jill gave a stiff nod.

"Love isn't something that Gods are supposed to have." Ann's smile disappeared.

"You mean that when I become the Goddess, I won't be able to love?" The thought, strangely, was tempting. Not having this pain, every day, the empty spot where he used to be.

"I said supposed to."

"Oh." So she would forever have his memories, the feeling of loss... and nothing more. Nothing. More. Not him.

"Yeah." Ann again fiddled with her braid, a sign Jill was deducting as nervousness. Then she threw her braid defiantly over her shoulder, and glanced at the pendant.

Ann gave a strange look to the pendant, her eyes wildly tracing the delicate pattern, her eyes reflecting the blue.. "So. Was he... Strange?"

"Strange? No." Jill had no idea what Ann was going to. She gave a glance at Ann, full of suspicion. "Strange as in what?"

"Oh, nothing." Ann turned, done with the conversation. And if she wasn't, she was desperate to end it.

"Tell me, Ann!!" She knew well enough the look on Ann's face from her continuous questions to the Goddess before everything was revealed.

"I'm just not sure, from what I'm getting from this pendant, that he's entirely..." She stopped, shaking her head.

"That he's what?" Jill was hoarse. She didn't even know what Ann was talking about. What could she know from a pendant that Jill was given?

"That he's human." Ann swallowed nervously and closed her eyes. "Morany, I'm not even sure I should be telling you all this, but..."

"How could you even know something like that?! You've never even met him!!" Jill's voice raised to a pitch that Ann had rarely heard before. Hysteria combined with utter worry and the sense that something in the person had... cracked. Ann whirled back around, eyes full of worry, but also full of bright hope.

"I can get a reading from things like this. It's like I see who's handled it. It's just that, from what I'm feeling, he's not human." Ann lowered her voice, more gentle now. "I'm not always right. Like you, I'm just getting... I'm just getting used to it, okay? So I'm probably totally wrong."

Jill nodded and turned away, eyes beginning to water. "May I have it back? Please?"

Ann gave a slow nod, one that said that everything was going to be okay. She smiled, then made a slow wave with her hand. "We'll talk more some other time, okay? Get some rest, Jill. I'm sure that the Harvest Goddess will be wanting you in the morning. You'll need to be ready." She took a deep breath. "Goodbye, Jill." She held out the pendant.

Jill reached for it, her face utterly blank, the wants and sadness behind it hidden.

And just before it was slipped from her fingers, Ann felt a slow, pulsating beat.

* * *

In the bushes, ruby eyes closed, the body connected to them wilting, the new knowledge, full of pain and wonder, swarming inside.

* * *

_A/N: I'm sorry for the skipping around in the Goddess' confession. I know I completely skipped the rest of it, and then went forward a week, but I wanted it that way!!! Anyhoo, thanks to reviewers, who, as usual, I will now talk to!!_

_Pause 11- It's okay about the reviewing. Colds and all sicknesses are annoying and mess with me, too. Once I was sick and I lay in bed and practically dreamed about me getting up and telling my parents I felt sick a million times. Wacky. To clarify about the guy and his girlfriend, it's important. That's Jill's past, which is important to the ending and needs to be said. I'm sorry if it's a bit confusing, but I didn't know how to communicate to readers that we were delving into her past. I've considered putting things in italics, but I've heard several readers on other stories complain of having large sections of the story in italics, seeing as how it annoys them and their eyes go a bit strange. Saying "In the past" didn't really appeal to me either. However, knowing that Jill's boyfriend/fiance isn't in Mineral Town, we can easily guess that it's in the past. I'm still fixing up the other chapters that I've got on my computer, by the way. I've already deleted several of them, so I can't exactly work on them. Thanks so much for the constructive criticism, and I'll be looking forward to you reviewing again!_

_fennecfox03- Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Thanks for the compliments and for your continued support, and I hope you liked this chapter lots!!! You rule!!!_

_Awesome Rapidash- Well, the format in the Goddess' part was supposed to be that way. I once read a ghost story, where the ghost never really thought clearly. She consistantly was slipping from past to future, slipping back and forth. They did it where they randomly put words in the sentence on different lines (you could still read it easily) and tabbed them differently. The effect was great. However, tab does not show up on this site, and so I couldn't do anything but to put her mixed up thoughts between the middle and the edge. Sorry!! Thank you so much for your continued support!!!! You rock!! I hope you liked this chapter!!_

_Well, I'll see you three and anybody else reading this in a week or so!!! Thank you all so much!!_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I'm sorry for the wait!!! School's started up, and all of my teachers are peppering me with homework and tons of stuff to do. I know, it's a bad excuse that probably everybody's going through, but it's true. My schedule doesn't allow for much home time, and it's difficult to write everything in short time periods. Thanks for my readers and reviewers continued support throughout everything, because you all ROCK!!! Thanks so much to all of you, and I hope you enjoy this!!_

Goddess

8

"Popuri?" Jill knocked on the door, her face changing from a deep frown to worry. "Are you there?"

The door still did not open.

Jill had everybody's schedule memorized, and she was certain that Popuri was home. Perhaps she just had something strange going on today.

She knocked several more times, then grew defeated as she slumped down next to the chicken coop.

"Do you chickens have any idea where the Chites are?" She did not feel silly for asking. She expected an answer.

Several chickens bobbed their heads up and down, and one let out a wild squawk.

"Can't be in the house," she mused. "They're not answering the door."

But the same chicken that had spoken simply bobbed its head back and forth.

Either the chicken was really stupid, or the Chites were inside. But why wouldn't they let Jill in? Popuri was her best friend, wasn't she?

Jill stood, knowing she was on limited time with the townsfolk. She couldn't wait on Popuri any longer. The Goddess had told her to be back by three, giving her precisely one hour to pick up crops to practice on, visit the library and pick up some children's fairy tale book, visit the church, and see Popuri if she had time.

She dusted off her overalls and let out a soft sigh. Summer was nearing its end, and the Harvest Goddess had predicted she wouldn't last to see Winter. Which meant that Jill would have to replace her then, and couldn't see Popuri any more. Couldn't see anybody anymore. She would be alone.

Jill shivered despite the heat, knowing quite well how it felt to be alone. And with that she walked back to her farm.

* * *

"Where's the book?" The Goddess demanded lazily, her feet dipped into the small pond on Jill's farm. 

Jill reached into her backpack and pulled it out.

It was a fairytale, utterly covered in dust, well hidden behind a book on wild herbs that didn't even grow in Mineral Town. It had taken Mary a half hour to find it, it having never been requested before. Stu and May just did not enter the library- It was too musty, too dark, too quiet for children such as them. But if anybody else in the whole town had known about it but Mary (who considered the book utterly useless), they might have gotten some use out of it.

Mary had blown an entire layer of dust off the surface of the book as she descended the stairs. "I can't imagine why you'd want this useless thing."

Jill shrugged. She didn't know why she wanted it either. "I just felt the urge to read a kids' book, I guess."

Mary raised an eyebrow, looking highly like her mother at the moment, looking alive and down to earth for a few seconds. Then her gaze drifted back into nothingness. "I see. Well, you can have it permanently if you want it. Or better yet, lend it to one of the children."

Jill just took the book, gazing at the title, written in swirly green letters: "The Sprites' Tea Party". On the front, several little men wearing caps and strange costumes (all different colors for each sprite), standing on a grassy meadow, were drawn.

The Harvest Goddess poked the little man with the red cap and clothing. "That's Chef. He's probably their leader, although I can never tell."

"They have names?" Jill squinted at the book cover, then opened it, glancing at the first page.

"Of course they have names." The Harvest Goddess gave a snort. "Although they aren't the ones I would pick."

Jill gave a smile, detecting sarcasm on its way, then sneezed from the dust.

"Let's see..." She groaned. "It's like a Doctor Seuss book, all rhymes, but with worse pictures."

The Harvest Goddess was already listing off names. "...Hoggy is actually a pretty good name, though Piggy would be much more obvious... And as for Bold, well..."

"Every year the Harvest Sprites

On calm, warm fall nights,

Have a picnic!

When the leaves are red and gold

As the little children are told,

The Harvest Sprites plan for their picnic.

Why they do it, nobody knows.

But they'll gather where the full moon grows,

To give praise to their Goddess so dear.

There they'll dance and sing

To help the true Goddess take wing,

Where the full moon grows.

Sweet flowers, they'll place around her neck

And with holly and holy water, she will be decked,

And then it will be the end of their picnic."

The Harvest Goddess gave a little smile. "Quite the story, isn't it?" She asked, quietly.

Jill flipped to the next page, waiting to be told more about their picnic, anything.

"Why, that isn't a story at all! It's a bunch of nonsense rhymes about a picnic that isn't really a picnic!" But as her fingers traced the drawing on the front cover, she realized it was so much more than that. She could sense welled-up magic inside the book. This wasn't a children's story. It was a ritual to be performed.

Jill then flipped back to the page where it told what they would do to the Goddess.

"Sweet flowers, they'll place around her neck..." She bit her lip, thinking. "...The Harvest Sprites really exist, don't they?"

The Harvest Goddess gave her a smile that didn't reach her eyes, an empty smile. "Oh, they're quite real. They're how every girl becomes a Goddess."

"How in the world is that?" Jill breathed, glancing back at the page.

"Their powers dwindle all year, and they are all alone even though they live together in a shack. But one day a year, in the fall, they gather together for a ceremony. It brings the Goddess power, and if there is a new Goddess waiting to be brought in, then they make her the Goddess. Then their powers grow to the maximum as they twist the powers together and create something anew."

"So that's how I'll become a Goddess?"

"It's how I became the Harvest Goddess, yes."

For the first time, it struck Jill that she was not the first person to go through this. That the woman, the Goddess, before her was once nothing but a girl, just like her.

Maybe she had a man that she loved, that she had to give up.

"Does it hurt?" She asked in a whisper.

She was given a wry smile. "If you mean physically, then no."

Jill felt herself falling into an emotional black pit. So she would have to stay here, be the Goddess... Live for so long, know- Imagine the worst about him... Imagine that he died... Or worse!! What if he married?

The thought made her cringe. She would have to suffer knowing this for so long...

The Goddess placed a hand on her shoulder, a rare display of friendship from her.

"It's painful," she whispered. "But it doesn't last forever. It doesn't."

Jill nodded, her blue eyes closing as she shut the book. "Crops."

The Goddess gave a start, as if waking from a dream, or nightmare, then floated over to the field.

"Crops. Practice. Right." Neither were in a talking mood, and couldn't even piece their sentences together, they were so deep in thought.

* * *

Popuri felt guilty. How could she have shut and locked the door and hidden while her best friend knocked? How could she? 

Because Jill wasn't normal.

Or at least, that's what Ann and Jill both thought.

But Jill was still her best friend, wasn't she? The one that she would say all her problems to, the one she would giggle and laugh with, the one she would share secrets with...

Secrets. Like Jill becoming the Goddess... That was a huge secret. More than huge. It was something incredible.

So why did it make Popuri feel so sad?

She remembered waking in the middle of the night, a teddy bear clutched in her arms, her sleepy red eyes half-open as she walked to the top of the stairs and began to descend them.

What had woken her, she couldn't remember. But she watched as her father pulled a suitcase out the door.

She was so young, so innocent. She didn't know what it meant.

"Daddy?" She called over the stair railing.

No answer.

"Daddy?"

And then Popuri had shuffled back to bed, certain that everything would be fine.

They hadn't seen her father since.

Her fists clenched as she recounted the memory. Although it made her angry and sad, it also made her feel like this. She began to take unsteady steps towards Jill's farm, recounting another memory.

She remembered knocking on the door one night, while it was pouring rain. Her idea to visit the beach to see Kai had been foolish, in this weather. Plus, he wasn't even home. She had waited, but nobody let her in her own house. She jiggled the doorknob, and found it locked.

"You can't tell Popuri!!" A voice that sounded like Karen's exploded from inside the house. "Rick, you idiot!! That'd ruin everything!!! She'd freak!! You know how immature she is!"

Popuri's pale hand had frozen on the doorknob, and she began to tremble.

Rick had not voiced any other opinion, and Popuri broke away, sobbing silently, running to the one place she felt safe in at the moment: Jill's house.

There was only one thing to do. Jill had been there for her through everything- One lie, one small (a tear slid down Popuri's cheek at that) little lie, would not break the two girls apart.

They were best friends!! Her nature wouldn't let her forget a best friend, no matter what.

So Popuri made up her mind.

She would go see Jill, and tell her what she knew.

* * *

Jill placed her hands gently upon the ground, allowing the slowly shifting powers inside of her search the earth for the seed she had just planted. 

It was found, and she wrapped her mind around it, but still held back just enough.

Something pushed against her fingertips, and she removed them from the soil, pulling her mind away in unison.

A small green sprout emerged, grew another centimenter, and then stopped, its leaves drooping slightly, the power gone.

The Goddess did not smile as she floated several feet away. She could tell that Jill was amazing, and that her powers were evolving quicker than her own had.

Did she dare to put her to the limit?

One glance at the book lying forgotten in the dust several feet away answered her question.

"Jill. I want you to make all of the seeds-"

"Jill?"

The Goddess swirled into the sky faster than Jill could blink. Popuri stood at the edge of the field of crops, having just witnessed Jill's feat.

Her mouth did not gape, her finger did not point accusingly- Not even in shock.

"Jill." Was all she said. "Jill, I know."

* * *

Gray was tired of feeling like this. Tiring of feeling... dirty... All the time. Tired of feeling like he had to yell at everybody, angry, tired of feeling superior to everybody else. 

Afraid that he would snap, and all the emotions stored up inside him would burst, would pop, and destroy everything.

He didn't know where all this knowledge of what he could do with his feelings came from.

Goddess, he didn't even know where the slithering, whispering voice inside of him came from.

It was always speaking to him, nonetheless.

"Gray," it would whisper enticingly, "Gray, do what you want to do, what you need to do, what you MUST do..."

And he'd throw the book he was reading across the room, regardless of the hurt look he knew he would receive from Mary when he returned it. Regardless of the head of Cliff he almost hit.

And then he'd put his hands to his head and begin to whisper back to it.

"Shut up, shut up, be quiet, be QUIET, I don't WANT TO..."

And it would slither back into his mind, quiet until he felt that at last he was safe from it... From himself. And then it would lash out with a fury.

And Gray, at last, on that cold, moonless night, decided that he would do whatever it wanted him to.

* * *

Popuri hadn't left until nightfall, until Jill's life story- Not the one she had told Popuri before, because she had cut so much out of it- the real one, had been told. 

And though there was hurt at the beginning and red eyes at the end, Jill instantly felt better. The same amount of hurt shared between two hurt much less than taken alone by one. There had been hugs, consoling pats, and before they knew it, the day was gone, and so was the worst of Jill's pain.

As soon as Popuri had left, with a promise to be back and see Jill again the very next day at dawn, Jill felt the cold of the evening.

Something wasn't quite right about it, yet she couldn't put her finger on it. The Goddess was nowhere in sight, and as she took a deep breath of the night air, she gained the knowledge of what it was.

The Talec.

* * *

_A/N: As I said before, I'm SOOOOOO sorry for the wait!! Anyhoo, this chapter was decently long, so I hope it makes up for the wait. Gaaahhh, I feel like I've done something wrong!! _

_Well, talk time!!_

_Pause11- 3/5's over half!!! I guess that's pretty good, but I wouldn't know. Chinese secret...? Anyway, thanks for reviewing and helping me, and I appreciate it. Is your cold better?_

_Awesome Rapidash- As usual, you've given me HAPPINESS from your review!!! I'm so glad you like my story and that you find it interesting and are always kind to me when you review. Thank you for your continued support, because you (and the other readers, of course) make the story worth writing!!! Thank you!!!! I hope you liked this chapter and I'm sorry for any wait. Thanks!!_

_fennecfox03- As with the other readers, you've been a source of lots of support!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! You make me so happy!! Thanks for your continued support and your reviews and your reading of my story!!! Thank you lots, and I hope you liked this!!_

_Well, I'll see you guys in what I hope is sooner than a week and a half. I'm not positively sure... I'M SORRY!!! Anyhoo, thanks so much to everybody!_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: This story has just flown by. It seems like I just started it! As you may have guessed by my weird first comments, the story is ending._

_I am not personally a story writer who can go on for 30 chapters. I don't work that way (unlike some TV shows... LOST, cough!). However, I DO enjoy making multiple stories! I've planned a spin-off, which you don't have to read, but I'd love it if you did. It's going to be called Exterior, and I have no idea when it will come out. It's all about Karen and Rick, as you'll probably guess from the ending. It's more superstition!! Yay!! Okay, so I don't own Harvest Moon. I'm going to do comments here, so as not to spoil what I hope is a good end to the story._

_Pause 11- Wait, the Deathly Hallows as in Harry Potter?! I loved that book! Anyhoo, thanks for your review, and your continued support. You make me happy!! I hope you like this!!_

_Awesome Rapidash- Well, Popuri has no idea of the huge picture. She knows that Jill is going to become the Goddess, though she doesn't know about the old Goddess, or the system. Yep, cold, moonless nights are NEVER good!! I don't know why. Thank you SOOO much for all of your compliments and all of your support!! You rock!!_

_Ekoaleko- I'm flattered!! Thanks a ton!! I'm so glad you like the story plot and everything!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You make me happy!! I hope you love this chapter, too!!! _

_Whelp, I guess that's it... I think I'm gonna cry!! The end of Goddess!!! Well... Enjoy! _

Goddess

9

Gray slowly swayed to a stop in front of the ocean, the soft breeze picking up to a gale. His hat blew off, forgotten, as his eyes closed. Water began to rise above his shoes, reaching his ankles. The stairs on the beach were slowly being covered by the ever-going water. The voice inside him cooed,

_"Come now, Gray. Just a little more. Just a little more."_

* * *

Jill was at a wild run. The growing dread in her heart fiercely demanded to grow into fear for everybody. Her breath did not falter, nor did her feet, as she unknowingly rose from the ground and sped, floating, towards the beach, blonde hair whipping out behind her. 

Popuri looked out the window into the mist, watched as rain began to fall from the sky. Watched Jill pass by, her heart heavy with worry for her friend. Popuri knew something was going to happen. She clasped her hands together in prayer, her lips moving silently.

Jill burst into the beach, leaving the Rose Square, filled with water. Above the swirling water, she looked down with green eyes upon the horror beneath her. In the middle of the rising water, a shadow stood, unmoving. Jill could feel the power rising from him. Rising from Gray. But how in the world was Gray so powerful? Was he a God, like her?

"He's got the Talec in him," the Harvest Goddess whispered. "The Talec is going to make Gray another Talec. He's going to shatter a part of his soul." She a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. "...How could I have been so blind as to miss this...?"

The knowledge stabbed through Jill, took her breath away. How could she ever stop that? How could she? Jill felt cold. The question she had always been asking seemed to echo. _"Why me?"_ With a sigh of pain, she began to fall towards the raging pool, falling away from the Harvest Goddess, falling away from the town, away from everybody. She began to black out.

The Harvest Goddess strained against herself, knowing that she couldn't do anything. She was too weak, too tired. Jill would have to do this all by herself.

Jill was inches away from the water, when glorious warmth filled her, sparking and happy. Golden and perfect.

_"Jill, I want you to be strong. Protect yourself! Protect us! Please, Jill!" _A voice inside whispered. The words echoed, but their meaning and feeling stayed.

Jill's first prayer.

* * *

As the warmth filled her, Gray was filled with an icy cold. Pain shot through him, his heart turned to ice, as the creature inside him grew furious. 

_"Fool... I shall have to do it myself..."_

And then Gray tumbled into a black pit inside of himself.

* * *

Jill righted herself, as the water below split open. Gray did not stand there, smiling. Gray did not stand there, eyes wide with excitement for the power coursing through him. Gray did not have the glow around him, the glow of sadness, coated easily by anger that grew and formed something worse. 

Gray was gone.

And all that was left was anger and pain, and sadness. So much sadness. A Talec.

She couldn't help but feel sorry for it.

"He loved somebody... and they died."

The words echoed through her mind, and she felt emptiness. But she also felt understanding.

If he got his way, more would die. More would lose their loved ones. That couldn't happen.

Jill knew how painful it was to lose a loved one.

So Jill dove down, beneath the water, knowing that, somehow, she could breathe. If the Talec could control it, why couldn't she?

Animals stood on the hills near the ocean, just above the water, staring down with eyes that knew. Fish swam as close as they dared to the two. Waiting for it to begin.

Jill raised her head, stared him in the eye. It was eerily quiet underwater. The world seemed at peace.

And then he looked back at her.

Jill was knocked back, sheer power coursing through her like a shock wave.

She still wasn't powerful enough to do this. It was all happening too soon.

Jill watched as he raised a hand, didn't try to move. He didn't hesitate, just waved.

She felt like she was being sapped. He was taking her power. Taking it away.

A while ago, she would have cheered, would have been happy without her powers to stop her from marrying _him_.

But now she knew it was wrong.

* * *

Popuri watched as her brother leaped downstairs, heading for the door with his raincoat. 

"Rick!"

He whirled around. "I'm going to Karen's," he said. His voice was... Deep? Rick's voice had never been like this. ...Rick was growing up. Popuri stood, racing over, and hugged him.

"Rick, we need to pray."

"To pray?" He looked at her in confusion.

"Yes." She paused, searching for what to say. "To pray for the storm to cease."

He frowned. "Popuri, I want to make sure that Karen is-"

"DO IT!!" She shrilled.

Never, ever, had she given him a command like that before. Shocked, Rick bowed his head, clasped his hands together.

"Er... Harvest Goddess, make us strong. Keep us safe from this storm..." He paused. "Is that all right, Popuri?"

She nodded icily. "Go. Make Karen pray too."

Wordlessly, he walked out the door. Popuri threw on a coat, and raced to Barley and May's house, praying all the way.

Popuri felt, inside, a small part of her fill up.

She was helping Jill.

* * *

Jill watched, almost in a dream, as her powers were spun out of her. She couldn't move. She needed to move, to save everybody! 

She wanted to!

Perhaps.

Or maybe not.

And Jill stood there without trying.

Her mind began to shut down, everything she had known flying from her grasp.

But the golden feeling returned, as a prayer flowed through to her. As it was soon joined by another. Then another.

Jill began to be herself again, tried to wrench her powers back. In surprise, the Talec let them go. Another prayer.

Words whispered in her mind, filling her with joy. Filling her with knowledge, and hope. Words swirling, feelings coming to climax.

The water began to lower.

Jill turned to look the Talec in the eye again.

This time, he was the one blown back. And Jill began to reverse it, to spin the powers out of him.

But she didn't want everything in him, like he had tried to take from her.

He had tried to take her feelings, her very being.

But Gray was under there, somewhere. She couldn't do that. Every person in the town was her responsibility.

She took that in fully for the first time. Then Jill was struck by an idea. Instead of pulling away his powers, she took the Talec's anger, layer by layer. Pulling them away, discarding them deep in the ocean, deep inside herself. And when she reached the core of him, the core... His sadness... She just took it. And then there was nothing left.

Nothing left.

* * *

Far away, a young man, working in a field, with a frown on his face, stopped. His brown hair and eyes matched perfectly with that of the ground he fell onto. 

And then, he disappeared.

Nappy raced outside. The Goddess Pond began to swirl.

Nappy's eyes grew wide as he raced towards it, and then he bowed.

"You've come back to us!"

* * *

Jill sat, watching the round moon slowly rise above the cliff. The Harvest Sprites seemed to dance in, carrying many things. 

Holly. Holy water. Flowers of every kind. She watched, almost with fear, as they began.

The date was Fall 13, the Full Moon Festival.

Jill was lead to the tallest spot of the mountain. She felt like she could stretch out, and touch it. The Harvest Sprites began the ritual.

The pale white light cloaked her, making her feel as if she were floating. Her blonde hair began to stream out, softly, the moonlight, now almost blue, turning her hair a light green, the color of fresh grass, or new leaves. Her blue eyes opened, and the effect was the same.

As she felt everything begin to grow, begin to build up inside her... She felt like she wanted to burst.

And she did.

She was born anew.

She thought she had felt, she had known, she had been, before. Now, it was... It was undescribable. She could feel everything, she knew everything, she...

She whirled around, her eyes coming to rest on the parade of people filling in, their clothing made of sunlight, they made of moonlight.

Others such as herself... But even more than that.

One stepped foward, her wispy cloud hair making unreadable patterns in the sky.

"My name is Morany," she said, softly, her eyes blue. "You are only lower than me. And two others." She smiled. "Everything else, here, is yours. All yours."

Jill smiled back. No... Jill wasn't her anymore.

The Goddess smiled back.

"This is my sister, Anila. She, too, is above you."

A woman with flowing red hair stepped foward.

She gasped, remembering. "You comforted me when I was on my way to the hospital..."

Anila nodded. "I've been watching over you," she said, her voice that of the crickets, her smile that of the sun.

"...And last of all is my brother."

There was no one. Anila let out a sigh that sounded like the end of a rainstorm.

"He is quite shy, at times... You'll eventually meet him..."

"I'm here." The voice was so different...

But so familiar.

Between the others, stepped a man. His hair was the black of night, his eyes the gray of mist at dawn. He smiled at her, that smile that she had seen so many times. The smile she had fallen in love with.

It was him.

* * *

Karen knelt before the Goddess Pond, and then broke down, her normally no-nonsense manner floating away on the wind. 

"Forgive me, for I have sinned," she sobbed. "Please, please... Help Rick!"


End file.
